The Paquin Job
by ledez-dreams
Summary: It never goes smooth... how come it never goes smooth? Mal/River
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

River sat at the helm of serenity, feeling fairly serene herself. She stretched out, wiggled her propped up bare toes. She removed her sunglasses as the sun set on Paquin and the sky darkened. Rare was it these days, a year after Miranda, that they spent a night planetside. Rarer still she wasn't included in a job. She had protested at first, but Mal had been adamant.

"You don't fit in darlin'," He had been reasonable enough two mornings ago as the plans were solidified. "Inara will play the companion to me part, Zoe and Jayne will be bodyguards. We're trying to keep this as smooth as possible. We can't use someone who, though lord knows, would be the best bodyguard in the 'verse, would be suspicious. You are just too damn young. No one would buy it."

He was right, she reflected, sitting in the chair she now thought of as hers and Wash's, never forgetting the man who had occupied it before her, but knowing his easy loving spirit wouldn't begrudge her taking it as her own. Her toes tapped fondly on Wash's dinosaurs. And even though she had been annoyed at first being excluded from the job, she had to admit to enjoying this time alone on the ship. Kaylee and Simon had decided to go off to the local fair while the job was at hand. She closed her eyes and could feel them leaving the old fashioned Ferris wheel that Simon had gallantly spent what little coin he had on taking them for a ride. She smiled, feeling the love and excitement that Kaylee was feeling at being with her love on a beautiful night on a planet with a real Oceanside as they walked, trying to find a place to open their bottle of wine and have a small supper away from prying eyes. Simon worried it was such a small gesture, the Ferris wheel, but the only gesture he could afford._ Boob,_ thought River. _Don't give Kaylee so little credit._

She searched through the night to the others. Her talents had been so much clearer since Miranda. She had been practicing on reading only the thoughts, emotions that she chose to pick up and block out the ones she didn't want. It was hard, there wasn't exactly a guide book to this kind of thing. But being on Serenity was actually a good environment. Being out in the black, she only had six minds to contend with, rather than the thousands, (Millions if it was a core planet), all milling around in her mind planetside, vying for her attention. This at one time had kept her locked in her insanity. Miranda changed something. It freed something in her. Simon couldn't explain it, and neither of them chose to question it. She had slowly been able to improve this selectivity to read what she wanted, ignore the rest. Her friends, (yes, they were all her friends now, this lovely truth growing stronger with the passing months), had been her unknowing guinea pigs. They had helped her hone her psychic abilities so that now she could respect their private thoughts by keeping herself out of their minds, but delve into them when she needed to. Very helpful on a job.

The job. Fairly simple. Mal would go to a party, improve the air of respectability by having a companion and bodyguards at his side so Mal could cozy up to a man called McMahon. A business associate of Badger's (not exactly comforting, that). But he had the connections they needed. It was an unsavory connection, a not exactly legal trade of some patented aerosol enhancer of agricultural growth, especially on moons which were notoriously harder to grow quality foodstuff on. Something that would fetch a great price on the border planets, especially in the black market. Nothing harmful, but nothing that one would want the alliance to catch whiff of, and as such, some unsavory characters involved. Mal and his crew were charged to relieve this contact of his supply of the aerosol, one way or another. There was room for negotiation to pay for the goods Badger had said, but added with a smirk on his face that outright theft wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Mal had wisely decided that the negotiation aspect was most likely the safest way to go. McMahon was known to usually sell his goods through legal channels, but would gladly sell to the black market when the price was right, and Badger had put up a decent amount of coin to acquire these particular goods. Actually a very handsome price. Badger was increasingly trying to shift his business towards the _grey_ side of the market rather than black. So here they were attending a party to propose a grey market price rather than trying to infiltrate McMahon's warehouses for a black market theft (although theft had been Jayne's vote). McMahon was holding this party, apparently a moderately posh one. Hence the companion and bodyguards to lend the air of respectability that Badger had advised.

River, still sitting at Serenity's helm, first caught up with Jayne's mind. Everyone these days regularly made good-natured jokes about how anyone who had full-fledged unlimited access to Jayne's brain would surely be driven insane. River, they laughed, had never stood a chance. Jayne took these jibes good-naturedly. They all would have been surprised though, to know that River_ loved_ Jayne's mind. It was so simple. It wasn't a dumb mind, it was just simple and clear. Jayne had a strong sense of good, bad and _basically good_ and_ basically bad_. He was crusty and though not exactly moral in a traditional sense, he did have a clear sense of morality and pragmatism. It was why he had tried to betray her and Simon on Ariel, he looked out for his own, and had seen them as both a threat to their safety and an opportunity for profit. Jayne's moral code made his decisions on Ariel so long ago plain. River fully understood Jayne, and she respected his reasons. And she also knew that things had changed these days. River, and even Simon fell well onto the side of crew and family in Jayne's book. He would protect both of them with his life, though he'd never admit it out loud. Despite all of this though, Jayne, more than anyone else, would have been surprised at the affection River felt for the Jayne brain.

Right now, Jayne was as clear as ever. He sized up the party, acting the part of bodyguard with ease, not trusting anyone really. A small(ish) part of him was really hoping the job would go south so he could do some brawlin.' River smiled at him, understood his desire more than she should, and moved on.

Zoe was also clear minded. Hers held the relief it always felt while working, as it was a chance to focus on something other than the dull grief that pulled at her heart during idle times. It was very slowly lessening, as the space grew longer between her and the loss of Wash. But a job was always an escape for Zoe. Nothing out of the ordinary there either.

Inara... always the hardest to read. Her mind was also clear and straightforward like Jayne's. Yet unlike Jayne, this clarity was because of her training to suppress everything underneath a calm exterior. She had obviously learned that control was best established by suppressing emotions themselves, not just the appearance of them. Her mind always occupied a place of uneasy calm to River, with unknown secrets simmering underneath. It didn't make her any less loving and wonderful though, and River smiled as she felt Inara's fleeting thought that she enjoyed being on Mal's arm like this, as part of the crew helping out of a job, and just the simplicity of being with Mal at a party. She also seemed perfectly natural in her surroundings, alert, but perceiving nothing out of the ordinary. They had only just arrived and were just beginning to introduce themselves as a wealthy man in agricultural machinery sales on vacation in Paquin, taking advantage of the company of a well-known companion as he attended the local party.

River, eyes still closed as the sun continued it's slow descent into the blackness, drifted last to Mal. Here was the one she had grown probably closest to with her pilot training and his growing trust of her on jobs. Closest to, and yet also the one she had made the primary focus of her blocking out training of her psychic abilities. His emotions were strong and dark behind his easy wit and very real affection for everyone aboard Serenity. Zoe's emotions were dark too with the lasting memories of the war, of Serenity Valley and the loss of Wash at Miranda. Yet her love of Wash kept a blinding light shining through her grief. Mal didn't have that. His nightmares plagued him and his apparent easygoing nature was hard won, a testament to his character that he could be such a good man with all of those demons. River felt she had a special bond with Mal. She knew all to well the effect of trying to be normal when nightmares, both asleep and awake threatened to take over. She knew that these days more than ever when she was more often orbiting the planet of normal.

Even Mal's confused feelings towards Inara weren't enough to cut through his darkness. If anything, Miranda had widened Mal's perceived chasm between him and Inara. Inara knew this too and it bothered her that he either couldn't or wouldn't let her use her companion training and her love to assist in healing him. But River knew Mal resented that Inara could never know the pain and sacrifice that people like him and those he had seen die had made while she had been in companion training, living a life in relative comfort, and very much on the side of the alliance. Even though he felt some kind of love for her, Mal couldn't bring himself to let this go. It was akin to the contempt he had once felt for Simon. But Simon had passed the Mal character test with the story of his rescue of River and the willingness to sacrifice the life and luxury he knew for someone he loved. This passing grade had been awarded even higher marks not long ago when one night, when it was just the two of them in the cockpit, River had shared the real story of Simon's rescue. No one knew that Simon was actually there at the academy and was instrumental in getting her out. He had been vague when he explained this part of the rescue two years ago when he met the crew of Serenity. No one had been particularily interested in listening to him then, and he'd never bothered to correct Mal's disdain that Simon had simply paid to have other people do his work. River had painted the picture of a Simon much braver and resourceful than Mal had ever given the boy credit for. That day, the Captain's measure of Simon had gone up a notch or two.

Mal had also been instrumental in River's recovery, though she thought she was likely the only one aware of this. From the get go, after Miranda, Mal had begun training her as pilot, including her in jobs, teasing her like a normal person, until she went ahead and became more normal. His acceptance of her made her more comfortable in her skin than she could ever remember feeling. He never feared or questioned her abilities or intuition; in fact he trusted them and never failed to listen to her advice or urgent whispers in a job gone bad and how they could get out of it. River trusted Mal and his judgment wholeheartedly also.

Mal also was alert, but largely at ease as he made his way through the party, introducing himself and Inara to the locals. It all made for a very easy night and hopefully they would be back on the ship and ready to take off with the cargo in a few hours. Just to be sure, River used her family's minds as a launch pad to leap through the minds from person to person through the party, more methodically than she once would have though possible. Click, click, click. Like snapshots of innocence. Excitement that a certain lady was here, hope that a certain man would ask this one to dance, hope that this night would constitute enough wining and dining that these two companies would merge. it was all pretty straightforward.

Suddenly, River gasped. This mind was not so easy. This wasn't the party they thought it was, or at least it wasn't going to be. McMahon knew Mal was coming, knew who he was representing. And he did plan to deal in coin, yes he certainly did. But when it came to delivering the goods, there was, not surprisingly, a much more grey area. Take the money, keep the goods. And he had the muscle on his side. Zoe and Jayne didn't stand a chance. Why had she not seen this before? She took this oversight onto herself and allowed herself a brief moment to berate herself for her bad judgment before switching to the more pressing problem at hand.

River's mind raced through possibilities as to how she could plausibly put herself there. _Not a bodyguard, it doesn't fit with the charade._ She thought. They had to keep up the charade until the right moment. She had to be there. Only she could feel out the right moment to break cover.

_NotabodyguardNotafriendNotasisterNotadaughterNota..._

She shot up out of the chair, ran to Inara's shuttle and started going through her clothes. Posh but not too posh. This meant there weren't a lot of options with clothes, and there was definitely only one option for a plan. She grabbed an emerald green dress, a bag and then raced to Kaylee and Simon's room. While she searched through their room, her mind flew back to where she had left Kaylee and Simon. A quiet picnic by the seaside docks. She had to get to them quick. She had to balance the scales. Mal and Inara, River and Simon. Mal and River, Inara and Simon. Kaylee would understand.

The mule was long gone with everyone else who had left earlier this evening, she was going to have to run. Luckily, it wasn't far to Kaylee and Simon. They could get a taxi from there. She opened Serenity, felt the warm summer breeze hit her face, but paid it no mind as she locked the hatch behind her, hitched up the skirt of Inara's dress she had changed into and began her flight through the docks.

Simon and Kaylee clinked their plastic souvenir glasses together with the wine they had bought, listening to the ocean lapping up on the shore during low tide. It was without doubt a lovely night so far. Simon couldn't remember feeling so content on a planet in years. He didn't look around in fear of being discovered, he just enjoyed the moment. The job Mal had found for them should be simple. And hell, if it wasn't, they could handle that too.

When he was a child, Simon had read all the super hero stories, adventures stories, swashbuckling pirate stories he could get his hands on. He couldn't get enough of them. He became immersed, as children do, in tales far more interesting than the lives that are usually mapped out for them. Then Simon had grown up, invested in the real world of his parents and peers like everyone else had. He become a doctor, he'd been good at it, he enjoyed it, and he was prepared to have the conventional privileged life that being a surgeon on a core planet afforded him. And life was good. He looked around now and reflected on his life today. River was safe, was saner than she had been since he had seen her as a teenager pre-academy. Yet here he was, on the run still. He might not be the main hero in this story. But he was the ship's doctor on a pirate ship. He had put on muscle, learned to fight. He might not admit it to everyone else on the ship, other than Kaylee who knew his heart and soul. But, _damn,_ wasn't life good.

He leaned over and kissed Kaylee after the first sip of their, _let's be honest_, second bottle of wine that night. She giggled against his lips and returned the kiss wholeheartedly. He cupped her cheek with one hand and started to bend her over onto the dock when they heard frantic footsteps interrupt them.

"River, what on Earth..." Simon trailed off as he took his sister's appearance in. She was wearing a beautiful green dress, of the quality he would have been used to seeing her in at one of his parents' parties. Although this one left very little to the imagination and River's expression was pensive. River handed Simon some clothes and Kaylee Inara's supply of hair clips and products. He and Kaylee exchanged a glance and he felt the pleasant buzz from the wine begin to dissipate.

"I need your help." She said simply.

So here they were, a party of two sneaking into McMahon's party. It was actually pretty easy with River being able to find an unguarded exit where guests were coming outside for air and cigarettes and politely holding the door for what they assumed were other party goers to come back inside. Simon, dressed now in a rather posh suit that River had found in his closet. Why he had ever thought he would need a suit like this as he packed for a life on the run two years ago River would never know. Yet the suit, and the fact that it was expensive, but now two years out of date by the core's fashion standards made his character as a border planet aristocrat that much more believable and she was grateful for it. He had left Kaylee, who had gone back to the ship to prepare for a possible quick take off.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" He had asked her, brushing her hair back out of her face. She grinned at him.

"It's what has to be done Simon," She answered, and with a glint in her eye "I like that my little pirate doctor is becoming a jack of all trades!" Simon ducked his head in embarrassment and Kaylee laughed and caught his lips in a quick kiss before parting. "I love you."

Kaylee had done River's hair up as best she could on a dockside in the dark. Which actually wasn't a bad job. Inara's green dress was certainly one she would only wear on a more modest planetside engagement. It lacked straps and was a simple gown, without any of the lace or beads that a core planet would demand. River had done her own makeup hastily before leaving. Kaylee had only corrected a few things, adding some rouge to her cheeks and some kohl to her eyes. She felt unrecognizable and caught Simon stealing curious glances at her during the taxi ride to the party, taking her in. She turned to his gaze and he maintained it.

"Any questions?" She asked.

"No, it seems okay. Are you going to be alright?" Simon replied. River felt a wave of warmth towards her brother, whom, after her becoming someone he didn't have to watch constantly, she had become so much closer to. The way real adult siblings should feel towards each other. He trusted her. He'd play his part, and he'd let her play hers. She trusted him too. Simon, like her, wasn't the same person who had boarded Serenity two years ago.

"Yes," She said. "I just hope we can fit into the charade."

End Part One


	2. Chapter 2

Mal Reynolds walked around the party with Inara on his arm, Zoe and Jayne following behind them. Two bodyguards was middle ground in terms of security, so he felt comfortable in his undercover identity. Malcolm O'Brien, farming equipment dealer. Sometimes names didn't mean much, but having a name from the same area of Earth that was McMahon did probably wouldn't hurt. Agriculture wasn't a great leap for him either; he planned to put knowledge gained from his upbringing on Shadow to use tonight.

They walked through the party stopping occasionally for introductions. It was definitely less of a shindig than he thought it would be, him and Inara were borderline overdressed. Inara had realized it minutes earlier, removing some kind of key pin from her hair so that it went from being pinned high on her head to falling on her shoulders enticingly but much more casually. He didn't have such tricks. He would just have to try to make up for his dress with his winning personality.

"Hey there," He introduced him and Inara to a man he knew from Badger's descriptions to be connected to McMahon. The man, Tso, was with a woman who turned out to be his wife when introductions were made. Along with three bodyguards.

"I work in ag' machines. I'm here on vacation," Mal spun the tale of his cover. "But a man never ignores an opportunity when he could make a good deal. I heard talk earlier today that the man Mr. McMahon hosting this party is in my line o' work and I would be much obliged to meet him. I'm looking to buy some o' that new crop grower that I've heard so much about."

"Oh yes," Tso nodded and made a small bow which Mal returned. "McMahon has two farms here and three on Highgate. Hoping to acquire one on Babylon if the local tensions die down. I work with him on many of his deals. He will be most happy to meet you. This is my wife Sarah." Inara bowed at the lady and gave a wide smile.

Tso and his wife made polite conversation with Mal and Inara for a few minutes. Inara was invaluable at this work. She was very clearly a companion, it would be fool to pretend otherwise, but luckily, this was a planet where bringing a companion to a party rather than one's wife was more than acceptable and Tso's wife Sarah took it in stride.

The couples bowed to each other and Tso nodded toward the entrance, "There is McMahon now. I will introduce you, that is my promise," with a flourish to Inara, Tso and his wife Sarah walked towards the newcomer to the party McMahon.

McMahon. Mal regarded the man. Curly grey haired with a short black beard that looked out of place with his hair. He was middle aged but still looked agile enough. His lady was a companion, although Badger had stated he most certainly had a wife. Not tonight he didn't apparently.

"I know her," Inara whispered. "Leila. She trained at the same house I did, although a few years before me." Mal wasn't surprised, but still appreciated the input. He glanced over at Zoe and Jayne. Both did a credit looking bored at the party. He knew they weren't. He felt a flush of affection for his crew, knowing they were just as in tune to the surroundings as he was. He turned and regarded McMahon further. A woman followed Leila, also elaborately dressed, but clearly much older, closer to the age of McMahon himself. She looked like she fit into the surroundings, yet also uncomfortable, walking behind McMahon and Leila.

"Is that his wife?" Mal murmured to Inara. She shook her head almost imperceptivity. She didn't know. Not for the first time tonight, Mal wished he had River here to interpret the surroundings for him. There just wasn't a plausible role for her.

Mal led Inara in a dance as he saw Tso and McMahon glancing in his direction. It was luckily a simply waltz and Mal didn't have to work too hard. He and Inara danced three more dances, talking and laughing before retiring to the bar for a glass of sparkling wine. He looked again to McMahon who was chatting with another Man and woman on the other side of the room. He wished again that River was here so he could get a handle on where his story stood with the men. But he also felt confident in his cover story and Badger had said McMahon never passed up the chance to make some coin.

Tso and McMahon eventually, about half an hour later approaced Inara and Mal. Introductions were made by Tso, who handed Inara and Mal a glass each of a ruby coloured liquid.

"Please Sir, accept these from Mr. McMahon's private stock, I have told Mr. McMahon that you are interested in negotiating some business and he would be happy to have a discussion."

Mal and Inara accepted the glasses and Mal reached out his hand to Mr. McMahon, who stood there with a small smile on his face.

"Pleased to meet you sir, I'm sure Mr. Tso also explained that I work in the agricultural business."

"That he has, Mr..."

"O'Brien, sir," Mal supplied, although he was certain Tso had already given McMahon his name. "Malcolm O'Brien. And this is my lady Inara Serra." McMahon bowed and kissed Inara's outstretched hand.

"Enchante," He replied with a smile. "I introduce you to my wife Laura and my companion for the evening Leila." Inara pursed her lips almost imperceptively. Mal could tell she did not approve with a companion being at the same engagement as the man's wife. But she held her hands to both of them and smiled brightly as though the disapproval had never been there.

"Perhaps you would allow your escort to go without your company while we discuss that vulgar thing that is business?"

"But of course," Inara demurred, "I look forward to both of your return."

It wasn't a long discussion. While Inarra made what could only be awkward conversation with Laura and Leila, Mal described to McMahon who he was pretending to be, a businessman looking to sell the new Alliance technology to the border planets and moons. McMahon nodded his assent that he was in possession of a supply. He inquired what price Mal was hoping to pay. Mal quoted less a thousand or so credits of what he actually had been given by Badger, so he afforded himself some wiggle room.

"Mr. O'Brian, we will have to discuss a fair price in a little more detail of course," McMahon seemed almost apologetic. "But we can deal. Provided I can see some identification and papers so I have a better idea of who I'm dealing with of course." Mal nodded.

"Of course." They had expected that and Simon had helped fake Mal's documents while River had actually been able to alter some info on the Cortex so that Malcolm O'Brian did in fact exist, provided the searcher didn't dig _too_ deeply. He excused himself to go to Zoe and Jayne as Zoe was holding the necessary papers he would need.

"What do you think?" He murmered as she handed him the documents.

"Seems solid so far, Sir." Zoe replied. "He ain't going to let us follow you when you go to discuss business though and I don't like that."

"Me either," Mal agreed. "But I don't see no way around it."

"There's a lot of suits around this room," Jayne added in, scanning the room, meaning bodyguards. "Don't see why there's call to have so much security at a party. Two of us should look like borderline too much and you look downright reckless compared to everyone else here." Mal followed Jayne's gaze and realized that most men indeed had three or more security guards, all hovering on the sides of the large ballroom.

"Well keep a watch, there's not much we can do about it for a spell." Mal cut the conversation short and returned to McMahon. McMahon accepted the documents and handed them to another man standing at his side, who took them and then left.

"Thank you Mr. O'Brian." We'll have a quick gander at these and then we can head out and talk some more.

The two shook hands and got a drink together. He glanced back at Inara who was now standing by herself. She was looking - gaping- towards the entrance. It took him a second. Simon Tam stood there which was strange enough, but the woman on his arm...

Was someone he had never seen before. In a long green dress, rather than her normal dress, Mal almost choked on his glass of wine when he realized he was looking at River. Her hair was piled up with small strands falling accross her face. Her eyes were dark with makeup and her lips were a dark red. It was lucky he had time to realize who she was before she walked purposefully right up to him and landed a kiss right on his lips. His first instinct was to recoil, but River pulled away before he did. His contact luckily didn't blink an eye.

"Who's this little lady?" McMahon asked amiably. Mal stood there, mouth dry with all kinds of surprise on so many levels and he looked at River, then looked at Inara a few paces away, looking at both of them with shock on her face.

"I'm Maggie," River replied cheerfully, sticking her hand out, "Mal's wife."

End Part Two


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_I'm Maggie, Mal's wife._

Mal stood there, dumbstruck as River clung to his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like it was part of the plan. And Simon stood there next to her, acting like his sister kissing his Captain was something he was used to seeing.

"I've been so waiting to see you," River gushed like a girl. "I just arrived with David!" River gestured over to Simon, who had plastered a smile to his face and took Mal's hand and shook it. He turned to McMahon.

"So sorry to interrupt, but my niece Maggie here and Malcolm are newlyweds on their honeymoon, and she asked me to escort her here after her spa appointment to meet up with her husband," Simon grinned at Mal and slapped him on the shoulder. "Doesn't Maggie look beautiful?" Mal knew he was slack jawed, but was finding it difficult to wipe the look off his face. He glanced quickly at River who looked at him intently and managed to mutter politely that indeed she was beautiful.

"My goodness!" McMahon exclaimed, leaning in to River and Mal, shaking both of their hands and kissing River's cheeks. "Why you didn't tell me that you weren't just on a vacation, you're on a honeymoon!" He called Leila over to them and set himself to introducing her to River. Mal glanced helplessly to Zoe and Jayne. Jayne was murmuring rapidly to Zoe who kept her stoic expression and clearly was trying to hold Jayne still. Something was afoot.

Inara came up to them all, a bemused look on her face.

"Mr O'Brian!" McMahon exclaimed. "I have misjudged this whole situation. I thought Miss Inara was your lady for the evening. Did you not introduce her as so?" He looked curiously to the lady in question. River came quickly to Mal's defense,

"Oh Sir, but she is!" Mal and Inara looked between each other. River went on "She is currently my husband's preferred Companion," She looked meaningfully to both Inara and Mal. She felt Inara's irritation at where this explanation placed her standing, but it couldn't be helped. She glanced to McMahon and Mal and shook her head, seemingly absentmindedly. "I'm sorry though, did I interupt something? You weren't trying to do business, were you Malcolm?" She wagged her finger at him playfully. "Every planet we go to is just a place for you to conduct business!"

McMahon laughed heartily. River felt him make a decison on this new development. He felt relaxed, seeing River's youth. This Malcolm character really did have a Companion and a wife on his arm. It wasn't so strange on this planet's customs, he had the same arrangement. It was strange though, given that the pair were newlyweds and also not from around here. But having them both here along with only two bodyguards between three guests? It showed that this man O'Brian was to be taken mostly at face value. It was no matter. This girl was clearly not connected. Having her there as opposed to a registered companion would make things much easier.

"You know your husband well, lady. And I fear I must ask you to allow me to impose on your husband's time again. I thought I'd invite Miss Inara to accompany us to the smoking room, a humble gathering between close friends, so we can finalize our dealings." McMahon invited to Mal. Mal glanced briefly at River and understood this was her plan all along, but that it was River who would be going with them.

"Sir, I actually think I will take my wife with me"

McMahon was mildly startled at this. It wasn't exactly the kind of gathering for ladies, but he inclined his head in agreement. "Suit yourself."

Mal motioned to Zoe and Jayne to follow. McMahon stopped him.

"You would be much wiser to leave your bodyguards with Miss Inara and Mr David," McMahon said politely. This isn't called the gypsy planet for no reason, and their safety should certainly be guarded. But I can guarantee full security in the smoking room. Mal nodded his assent. He wasn't going to mistake the statement for a request. That was the only way it would be. He followed McMahon who led the pair and his companion, Leila, through the party and into an elevator out in the hall.

Tso had followed like a shadow and stood in front of them in the elevator, pushing the button for the sixth floor. River took Mal's hand and he looked down to her.

_What's going on Darlin?_ He asked with his eyes and his thoughts. She offered a small smile in response. He felt way more out of his element than he had before she had come onto the scene and changed the whole plan. But he trusted her.

He couldn't help but notice, however, as the elevator doors closed on Simon and Inara, Zoe and Jayne, that River was now all he had in a game to which he no longer knew the rules.

End Part Three


	4. Chapter 4

Things were much, much different than they had been an hour ago.

Inara had stayed with "David" at the party, as had Zoe and Jayne, at McMahon's polite "request". What if he had insisted on bodyguards? Mal thought to himself, not for the first time as he surveyed this part of the building, with what was clearly a large amount of security hovering around the room. He knew at once Zoe and Jayne wouldn't have stood a chance with all of these men. Although McMahon had been nothing but jovial, agreeable and talking of legitimate business since they got up, it was dawning on Mal that even if River hadn't been here, Mal would already know that something was wrong here. He eyed the room. The "smoking room" of McMahon's party consisted of men with women, definitely not companions, but what Inara would have admitted as simple whores in various states of undress. It was some kind of brothelesque place.

"I should have thought to mention that it might not be the most appropriate setting for your wife Mr. O'Brian," He had said upon entering with a smirk on his face. River hadn't batted an eyelash and said she was quite comfortable, thank you. McMahon shrugged and didn't comment on it again.

Mal eyed River uneasily and she looked up at him with heavily made up eyes that he couldn't read. She was almost unrecognizable, he had never seen River made up the way Inara did herself up. It made her look older, more confident and sharpened her beauty. She held his hand during the negotiations, gave it an occasional squeeze and sat silently beside him. McMahon hovered over Mal. They had been sitting together chatting amiably for an hour now, sizing each other up, haggling prices. He realized now that McMahon knew he was working for Badger. Mal didn't bother to deny that it was Badger who had "put him onto" McMahon, but denied that Badger had any involvement in the finalized deal. McMahon told him he felt very uneasy about dealing with Badger, but he felt Mal O'Brian was a man after his own heart and they could certainly do business. River sat there looking over the room, watching couples kissing, fondling, and occasionally getting up together to leave the room for a more private setting. She feigned boredom with the conversation while she listened to McMahon and his associate's thoughts. McMahon eventually stood up and shook Mal's hand. They had a deal. He just needed to make a few calls and could have the aerosols here within the hour. Perhaps Mal and his wife Maggie could have some quality time together. McMahon smirked again as he took his leave.

Mal turned to River and opened his mouth to finally get the scoop. River wasted no time. She jumped into his lap before he could speak, straddled his hips, an act that brought the skirt of her dress much higher than it should be and pressed her lips to his. He recoiled instantly.

"What in the gorram hell is going on girl?" He hissed. He tried to lift her off of him and she responded by holding on to him tighter and grabbing onto his collar.

"This is the only way we can talk without being heard by anyone," River murmured against his right ear. "There are mikes in this room, but they won't pick our voices up when we're this close. I needed to get in here with you and get close to you. This is the cover. He never thinks, never suspects the little wife is the muscle. Right now, he's just thinking we've been apart all day and I want to get this deal done and you back home to bed. Inara can't play this part, and Jayne and Zoe can't be here." She grabbed his hands and pulled them onto her waist. "If you're doing this with me, he doesn't know that you know the plan has gone wrong. He thinks you're duped." She wiggled in his lap and sighed against his lips, frustrated with his performance thus far. "you've gotta make it look _real_ Captain."

As mortally embarrassed as Mal was to be here in this semi public space with River in his lap (_thank god it's dark and they can't see the colour of my face, he thought)_ he found his hands, almost of their own volition, tightening on River's waist and stroking her back slowly. "I don't understand what's happened though," He whispered back. "The story checks out, he believes me." River leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, feigning a confidence she didn't feel. She had kissed boys before the academy, but that was a lifetime ago. She'd kissed boys planetside on jobs. None had felt like this. These were her first real kisses tonight. With the Captain. It was a surreal moment. Mal felt stiff and awkward beneath her, but she could feel him warming up to her against his will.

"Not your fault, none of our faults," River broke the kiss and peppered small kisses down his neck before coming up to his ear again. Mal could feel her breasts skimming his chest and swallowed hard. She went on, "It's Badger. They had a bad deal some months back and McMahon got cheated, and exposed to the law. Had to pay a big fine on top of losing cargo, all Badger's doing. That's why Badger needed you to be go-between in the first place. McMahon trusts you, but he's going to use you as an example to send a message to Badger. Take his money, kill his man and keep the goods. You're just caught in the middle. You and your new wife."

Mal cursed under his breath. Of course that little snake would leave details like that out. Anything that made him look less than the professional he wanted everyone to believe he was. And here they were, another job gone south. Jobs and contacts were few and far between these days after Miranda, but Mal would think seriously about taking more work from Badger after tonight. Nothing ever went the way it should. And this... this was not the way it should be going.

Mal pulled River back to look in her eyes, "When did you figure all this out Darlin'? Just tonight, back on the ship?" River lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry," She whispered sadly. "I should have realized it earlier, I was listening in on all of you at the party, to make sure everything was okay and I felt him. I came as soon as I felt his intentions but was late getting here. I let all of you down, you didn't have to go in so blind if it wasn't for me."

"No!" He cut in quickly, cupping her cheek. "You're probably going to save all of our asses tonight and I won't have you apologizin' for what none of us could have known without you." This girl, _(this woman, he corrected_), was nothing short of a miracle to him and his crew. She heard his words and thoughts and smiled up at him shyly. It was downright comical that the girl could have a look like on her face given the fact she was splayed on top of him in what was essentially a brothel.

Right. About that. Mal's concentration swayed wildly from the job to the more pressing issue of River kissing him in a way she had no business knowing how to do. It had been a long time since he'd had a woman on his lap like this and it was a mite unsettlin' the way River was making his head spin. Inevitably, the phrase _Special Hell_ entered Mal's consciousness. He was starting to seep farther into dirty old man territory, which was absurd on so many levels. Not least of which was the fact that this was _River_ and that they still had to get the goods and get out of here in one piece. He simply didn't have time for this.

River read these thoughts and leaned to his right side. "It's okay Captain," She reassured him, placing a kiss below his ear. "We're playing the part of newlyweds, remember? Your body is reacting to my body in a normal physiological response, enhanced by the tense environment. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Makes it real, makes them believe we are both stupid enough to be doing this with each other when we're in danger. Makes them complacent." She ran her hands down his arms, feeling the muscles taut as Mal groaned and kissed her again, forcing open her hot little mouth with his and their tongues connected.

River knew in a detached way that what she said was true. Both of them were just at the mercy of hormones as they sat entwined with one another. Somewhere in the last few minutes, her a pleasant dull ache had started forming in her core that was rapidly turning into an insistent throbbing. It was made worse that she could feel also Mal's arousal radiating off of him. This wasn't a simple charade anymore. She shifted on his lap to give that throbbing between her legs what it wanted. Mal muttered something incomprehensible at the change of position and the hand that had been on her cheek snaked into the loose ends of her hair and pulled her closer. Maybe his body was just acting against his will, but gorrammit, his will felt pretty much in tune with what was going on right now. Yet as his hands drifted down to her hips and legs bare where her skirt had ridden up into folds of emerald fabric between them, as Mal began fingering the hem of that skirt, and listening to how her breathing became ragged, alarm bells started sounding in the back of his mind. Awareness of where he was, what he was doing, and who he was doing it _with_.

Mal's hands froze in their spot. He broke the kiss, his breath came hard and fast. He tipped her head up to look into her eyes, darkened and dilated. Her breathing was rapid as she gazed back at him. So he wasn't the only one caught up in the moment. Mal didn't know how he felt about that. He shook his head at her.

"This is a dangerous game, Darlin'." Mal whispered hoarsely. "How's about you start helping me come up with a plan to get us out of here?" River nodded and got herself under some small semblance of control. She tilted her head to the side as though listening to something.

"Plan's in motion and all in place Captain, we're just playing our parts," She didn't move off of his lap, rather leaned forward into his ear again and began whispering, Mal closed his eyes, still enjoying the contact despite himself. "McMahon is five minutes away from coming back here, cargo's on the roof. He'll be coming down to escort us up there and make the electronic transfer of funds to his account. This is what we're going to do then..."

End Part Four


	5. Chapter 5

The plan, as it turned out, involved all of them. While Mal and River had headed up to the sixth floor with McMahon and Tso, Simon pretended to chat idly with Inara near Jayne and Zoe. He in fact was explaining to all three of them exactly what River had told him. He outlined the plan quickly and efficiently. River was convinced that they were being watched even now. Simon gave Zoe and Jayne small communicators to fit discretely into their ears that would communicate with Kaylee, who had gone to get the mule ready for take off.

"You stay here with Inara while I go back to Kaylee." This was part of the plan that was more difficult to sell to Jayne and Zoe.

"Don't see how us standing around twiddling our thumbs at some shindig helps the plan," Jayne muttered.

"Why don't we go up and try to help the Captain?" Zoe reasoned. "We could make something up to get in there about how Inara wants to leave and we need permission to escort her home." Simon raised his hand.

"River is convinced they won't let you in. And if any of you try to leave, they will tail you and call McMahon." He gestured to himself. "I came separately, they don't know who I am, they won't be fussed if I leave while all of you stay. Inara will be the best at acting like nothing is amiss. When we're in position, Kaylee will contact you. Go out the door River and I came in and meet us where I told you." He picked up Inara's hand and kissed it, making to leave.

"How will we know when to join Mal and River?" Inara asked quickly as he turned away. Simon turned his head and gave her a strained look he poorly tried to pass off as a smile.

"She said we'll know to join them when the shooting starts."

Mal didn't know if he was experiencing the shortest five minutes of his life, or the longest. River explained what would go down in the next fifteen minutes with ease. She had also continued the slow torture on all his senses. He felt like a teenager with his first girl. Hell they were barely touching each other more than a couple of kids would, just sharing kisses and caresses. But his body hummed and images of them being alone somewhere, his bunk, mayhap, and the freedom to do so much more, seeing her hair unbound on his sheets... His fingers stroked just under the hem of her skirt and felt the heat radiating there. River knew his thoughts and his fantasies became hers.

Twice Mal drifted back to his surroundings, tried to come to his senses and muttered that life would be a lot easier if she would get off of him and let him clear his head, but she reminded him that although it seemed like no one was paying attention, the guards were listening to them. "He'll be back soon enough. You'll look to the job when you need to, your head will be clear," River murmured against his mouth. He was irritated by how much she was clearly enjoying herself and surrendered himself to his fate.

Mal was deep in another kiss when he was interrupted by a polite cough. His host had returned. Was he relieved or disappointed? Surely a bit of both.

"I see I wasn't overly missed," McMahon smirked at both of them. River smiled serenely and detached herself from Mal as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Mal felt the loss acutely, even has his mind switched gears to the plan and his senses sharpened.

"I got your new cargo up on the roof. My boys can help you haul it back to where you're staying for you tonight. Let's get this done so your wife can take you home and you get down to newlywed business." Mal and River rose and the three left the room which was now entirely empty of couples, Mal realized. Only security left now, he counted 17. Seventeen, and certainly more waiting on the roof. He swallowed and said a silent prayer to Shepherd Book to forgive him his sins of the last few minutes and help them get out of here safely.

"I took the liberty of getting your account information when my assistant looked through your papers," McMahon said. Mr. Tso had also joined them. The reentered the same elevator they had come in on and Mr. Tso entered the highest floor. As the elevator began it's ascent, McMahon handed Mal his tablet, which indeed had the bank account belonging to Malcolm O'Brian opened up. "All you need do is enter your password and transfer the agreed price." Mal looked at the tablet. It was important they actually get on the roof before the transfer, he felt River tense beside him, ready to spring into action.

"I'd take it as a kindness if I can lay my eyes on the stuff first," Mal regarded McMahon calmly. "I've been burned enough times to know that you gotta see the thing itself before payment." McMahon was unsurprised by this.

"Of course Mr. O'Brian, I could hardly fault you for that." The elevator came to a halt and a summer breeze blew in as the doors opened. No sign of the crew. Just 10 more security guards, all holding guns around a large crate and a craft Mal assumed was meant to make him think they would use to assist him in transferring the cargo.

"Quite a bit of security, wouldn't you say?" Mal remarked casually.

"Like you said Mr. O'Brian, you can't be too careful these days." They walked to the crate and one of the guards opened it. In it was exactly what they had been expecting. Mal nodded and gestured for McMahon's tablet back. He entered the code and watched the transfer go through. He handed it back to McMahon.

"Well looks about done Sir, it was a pleasure doing some business with you," Mal started to raise his hand to shake McMahon's. McMahon smiled thinly.

"I'm afraid I did forget to mention one thing Mr. O'Brian," McMahon ignored Mal's hand, calm and polite. "I will never do an honest business with that piece of _go-se_ Badger again. I'm happy to relieve you of your money, but you won't be leaving this building alive." He looked almost regretfully towards River. "You're lovely wife either. I told you to bring your companion up, but you had to go with your new bride. Otherwise she would have been safe downstairs all this time." The guards closed in on Mal and River and McMahon motioned them back towards the elevator. "Can't do this out in the open."

The hurricane that was River Tam came unexpectedly and sudden. Hell, Mal knew it was coming and he still felt bombarded as he was pushed to the ground and out of harm's way by River before she sprang into action. By the time he recovered himself enough and looked up, five of the fifteen or so guards were already on the ground. He watched River fly through the air and didn't know why he ever doubted the girl who had brought down a whole group of Reavers. This was child's play. He felt a swell of pride as he watched her pull the rug out from McMahon and his plans.

_Don'tkilldon'tkilldon'tkill_, River repeated the mantra as she methodically took the guards down, one by one. It was harder to leave people alive, the attack had to be more precise, which slowed her down slightly. But didn't slow her down nearly as much as this gorram skirt. She cursed it as she was fighting, hoping she could maintain the speed she needed. As she danced, anticipating every reaction that the guards had, she knew they were all alive, and she felt exhilarated. She disarmed the next guard and fired off shots with his gun into the sky. Three more down, two left. That was when the tide turned. She froze as she felt rather than saw McMahon lifting his weapon and point it at Mal. She whirled around, pointed the gun she held at his head, even as the two guards still standing recovered and pointed theirs at her.

"Put down the gun," McMahon spat at River. I don't know what in the gorram hell you are or where you came from, but I _will_ shoot him. And my men will shoot you. And you won't be able to get to me before I succeed."

River wasn't sure about that. Even as she slowly lowered her weapon onto the ground, her mind was racing through the options. Off the top of her head, she could think of three possible ways of regaining the upper hand. But none guaranteed success, none guaranteed Mal wouldn't come out injured, or dead. And besides, she didn't have to worry about it anyway.

"Well how's about you _all_ put down your guns, that sounds like a fun game!" The unmistakable voice of Jayne Cobb rang out as the din of Serenity's mule came into focus. Kaylee as pilot, the mule rose up from the side of the building, hovering in the air, with Jayne and Zoe each training weapons on the guards and McMahon. Mal saw McMahon's eyes widen in surprise, as he knew he had been beaten, but still was unable to quite believe how.

"Hi Captain!" Kaylee yelled cheerfully and waved in a way only she could, as though she hadn't a care in the world. "Looks like we got here right when we shoudda!"

McMahon motioned his guards to surrender and he lowered his own weapon. Zoe ordered them onto the ground and while Zoe and Jayne kept their guns trained carefully, Simon and Inara hopped off the mule and helped Mal and River load up the goods. They'd be a bit heavy on their journey back, which would slow them down. But it looked like they didn't much have to worry about any pursuit, and that was a comfort.

Mal turned back to McMahon before getting on board.

"Now all I wanted was a simple transaction between men!" Mal spat. "I don't see how over and over again I'm the one doing the right thing. I'm the criminal, you're the businessmen and yet I seem to be the only person with any gorram principles anymore! Now you can keep your money that I paid you like an honest man. And we'll take what's ours. And you better pray it's the last you see of me and mine. Next time we appear on this little world, you keep your head right down, dong ma?

McMahon nodded tightly. Mal spat on the ground, furious and relieved all at the same time. He glanced at Zoe as he got on.

"Let's get the hell out of here." She nodded at Kaylee to take off as her and Jayne kept a close eye on the men on the roof.

"With pleasure sir."

As Kaylee drove through the streets back to Serenity and the distance between the crew and the roof widened, everyone began chattering at once. They all were caught up in the giddiness that went with a successful plan and the escape with the goods. Everyone threw questions at Mal about what had happened with him and River upstairs before they came to the roof. Mal choked out an explanation, leaving a hell of a lot more out then what he left in. He explained that River had gotten him alone when McMahon went to get the cargo brought to the roof and explained the whole plan.

"Hell, I missed me a gorram brothel again?" Jayne complained. "I always end up with the shit jobs around here. You know Mal, I coudda helped ya up there! I'da been a real asset in that brothel, what with the undercover business and all."

Mal lowered his head. He was thankful that _no one_ had been up there. God, what if Simon, or Inara had been there? He shuddered at the thought. He couldn't even look in River's direction. He caught Inara giving him a searching look but he refused to meet her eyes.

"At least the job's done," Mal said finally.

"We'd better get a good cut out of this one, Sir," Zoe commented as she kept her gun trained behind them, still watching for any pursuit. "I'm tired of Badger's jobs going down like this."

"You're not wrong about that," Mal agreed. He turned to them as Serenity came into view. "You all did your jobs well tonight. I'm proud of you."

"It was all River!" Kaylee pointed out. "none of us would have known to do any of this if it weren't for her!" Mal finally turned to look at his little pilot. She hadn't said a word the whole trip. He took her all in. She really was a beauty in that dress and done up like that. Hell, she didn't need fancy dresses and makeup to be beautiful. She kept her eyes down and shivered. Mal looked at his crew and realized everyone had a coat. Even Inara was covered up in some kind of shawl but River's shoulders were bare and her small frame was chilled in the night breeze. He took off his jacket and draped it over her arms. She looked up at him, shy now that the plan was done. She didn't know what to say to him. Her eyes were bright now as they regarded him, but now he knew how those eyes looked darkened with passion and desire. It was his turn to shiver, but it wasn't from the cold.

He felt a mite awkward himself, but pushed it all out of his mind to mull over later. He nodded to her and didn't say a word, before turning away, but she heard his thoughts loud and clear.

_You did good little Albatross. You did real good._

End Part Five


	6. Chapter 6

Two hours later, River was back in her and Wash's pilot seat. There was no sunrise to look on this morning however, only the blackness of space. If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she had sat there the whole time and the evening had never happened. She was back in her normal River clothes, her face washed and her hair hung unbound around her face. If she concentrated, River could almost convince herself that she had spent the last few hours inside Serenity as the job went down and hadn't moved from her perch until everyone came back on their own with a job well done. She couldn't however, summon that peaceful feeling she had felt earlier in that evening. That was a lifetime ago.

As soon as unloading and getting everything put away safe and secure, Mal had commanded River to get them into atmo and off Paquin. For once, no one complained about their hasty departure. They all sat in the galley and had a drink together, congratulating each other and toasting to River's good plan. Slowly though, as the adrenaline wore off, yawns started going around in that contagious way they did and eyelids drooped. The crew was exhausted and everyone except River, Inara and Mal had eventually wandered off to their bunks for some well deserved rack time. Simon kissed River on the top of her head as he and Kaylee walked out.

"Night mei mei," He smiled. He had given her a few questioning looks about the lack of detail in what had happened with her and Mal earlier, but she just smiled and shook her head. Simon had changed a lot and could accept a lot of things these days in stride, but there were definitely some things he just couldn't handle.

That left her alone with Mal and Inara. She glanced between them. Inara was looking at her, Mal was looking down into what was left of his whiskey. River smiled slightly at Inara before she stood abruptly and left for the pilot's chair without a word or a backward glance.

Inara had tried to keep Mal at the table after everyone else had left the galley. Something wasn't sitting right with her Companion intuition about Mal. What had happened with him and River? Inara wondered. They'd barely spoken to each other since they got back. Mal put Inara off though. He rubbed his forehead with his hand, gave her a tight smile and said he just wanted to get some shuteye was all. Everything was fine. And he wanted to get up early and send Badger a wave to tell him the job was done and that they were en route to Persephone. She hesitated before relenting. She put her hand on his arm, said good night and headed for her shuttle. Mal watched her leave, feeling even more conflicted about Inara and his feelings than usual, and that was saying something.

River listened to this conversation between Mal and Inara as she sat alone in the pilot seat. She felt his thoughts turn to her. Immediately, River blocked him out. She had enough emotions and thoughts regarding her Captain whirling around her brain to allow his thoughts to get inside her and churn her up even more.

She had been telling Mal the truth earlier. Their physical reaction to each other had certainly been natural, often unavoidable when two people capable of attraction were in that kind of proximity and stressful environment. And it was vital to their cover so that no one got suspicious. The plan had gone exactly how she had envisioned it in her head.

Except it _hadn't_ gone exactly as she had envisioned, had it? She had to be honest with herself. There had been a lot more going on between her and Mal in that room than just bodies reacting to each other. She might lack the experience of other people, lacked the experience Mal himself had. But she was not so blind that she couldn't recognize the kind of electricity that had welled up between them wasn't just biology. There was a sharp feeling of rightness when she had been in his arms. Like that was where she was meant to be. She felt it powerfully. She felt it still. She just didn't know what to do with it now. There was no _outlet_ for these feelings.

River had always loved Mal. He was her Captain, her protector, from the moment she came out of that box those years ago. He was the only one of the crew other than Simon who had never feared her, not once. When she was at her worst, before Miranda, Mal had been the one to place all his faith into a troubled girl. He had borne all the consequences of that faith without blame or regret. She loved him for that. She loved how much he loved every single member of his crew. She loved that he became her teacher. He helped feed her mind, showing her how to fly his ship and encouraging her to hone her skills on jobs. She loved that he wanted to see her soar.

It wasn't as though she had _never_ thought of Mal as a lover. She loved him so many ways, it was natural to think of that kind of love as well. It had crossed her mind unconsciously, but the thought never fully formed, she'd never teased it out. It was just a passing fancy that she ignored, the way she had similar thoughts occasionally about Jayne. She was a grown woman with very few men on the ship. She'd been curious. She hadn't taken it seriously. She'd even noticed boys her own age planetside and felt them notice her. She'd kissed a few, but she'd never taken it further, though she knew she could have. Something had been missing.

She hadn't felt that burning need before. Now she felt it. Oh did she feel it. With Mal. And River didn't know if she could make herself un-feel it now that she'd had a taste.

She snuck a small peek into Mal's mind even though she knew she shouldn't. He was in his bunk in the dark. He laid atop his bedspread, still fully dressed.

_It's not normal, it can't be normal_, he kept turning this over in his head. _Wanting a woman like that, in a situation like that. That kind of need ain't normal. I'm thirty-three years old and I ain't never felt a need like that... it just cannot be normal..._

She severed the connection with his mind, and her awareness shot back into herself. She shook a little. So she wasn't the only one. She knew she wasn't, but now she had seen into the truth of it.

A relationship wasn't going to just materialize out of all this, she wasn't so foolish to believe that. There were too many hang-ups. Mal had unfinished business with Inara that sooner or later would have to be dealt with. He would most certainly balk at River's age. She knew him well enough this was a huge barrier for him. Simon surely would hit the roof. And she herself needed time to get used to the newness of these ideas. But if not a relationship, where _were_ they going to go from here?

River allowed the memories of Mal's kisses, his hands on her body to wash over her. The way his hands had been helplessly drawn downward, almost against his will, skimming under her skirt and the way he had felt undone at the heat he encountered there. Every touch made that heat grow, made her wonder if she'd ever cool down, if this feeling would ever _quell,_ if she ever wanted it to. How she had known exactly where to kiss his neck and stroke his thighs to make him shudder. It made her shudder herself, here back on Serenity. She closed her eyes and her head tipped back. Her mouth parted as she imagined Mal's lips insistent against hers, and his hands on her breasts, right there in the moment.

"You should get back to your bunk Darlin' because you're falling asleep sitting up," Mal's voice startled out of her reverie and River startled violently. She shot upright in her seat, heart racing. He had no way of knowing what she had just been thinking about, but she still felt caught in the act.

Mal smiled weakly and put his hand on her shoulder as though to reassure her, then snatched it right back as though burned, but not fast enough before they both felt the electricity from the simple touch. River watched his eyes darken as he regarded her. She felt warmth stirring again in her lower abdomen and stared back at him. He broke away first.

"Sorry River," Mal muttered wearily. "I didn't mean to scare you." He sat down heavily next to her and sighed. "I couldn't sleep."

River curled herself into a ball in the chair, wrapped her arms around her legs and stared out into the black. "Me either." They were silent for a time together, both lost in troubled thoughts.

"I suppose we need to have a little chat, you and me," Mal began. River didn't reply for a spell, just kept staring out at the stars, and avoiding his gaze.

"About the fire. A supernova washed over us tonight, washed between us." River whispered finally. Mal stared at her hard, not expecting her to spell it out so bluntly.

"You said so yourself little one, it's just chemistry," Mal reminded her. "Just two bodies... getting all... physical-like when put so close together in a high stress situation. It wasn't really us." He felt awkward talking about it. The word _bodies_ had never sounded so... _lurid_. He felt a need to clear the air but didn't know how to do it.

"I did say that." River admitted it. "I meant it. Because it was the truth. But it wasn't the whole truth, was it?"

The question hung between them. Mal looked away from her and out at the stars.

"No, it wasn't..." Mal whispered hoarsely, more to himself, but River heard him. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers. Gorrammit he was tired.

"Was the whole thing really necessary Albatross?" His eyes searched hers. "I've been going over it in my mind and I know I might not be able to see around all the sides of the situation the way you can. But did all the kissin', the touchin'... did it have to go down that way?"

River was rueful. "No," she answered. "and yes..." She sat up and turned herself towards him. "I didn't _mean_ for it to be like that. I knew the plan before I walked in the door. I told the whole thing to Simon and Kaylee, didn't I?" Mal nodded. "But there wasn't a chance before we went up there. We were never alone to discuss anything, McMahon and Tso were there the whole time." She swallowed, going through the decisions in her mind that had seemed so clear at the time. "Mal... Captain, I probably could have said we needed a moment alone. They would have bought it and we could have talked downstairs. But I didn't _realize_ that the security people would be so close to us upstairs and..." She waved her hand in the air aimlessly. "By then it was too late. It was the only way in that situation I thought we could whisper without making them suspicious. I'm sorry, I guess I could have tried something el-"

"No, it's okay River." Mal cut her off. It was clear to him she had just been improvising. He'd already known deep down her intentions were innocent. Ulterior motives weren't part of River's character anyway. It did make him feel better to hear her say it. He felt bad making her feel like yet another part of this was her fault. "It's okay, I'm sorry. I guess I feel better knowing that we didn't have a choice. Look at us, making sacrifices for the greater good." It was a weak joke, and River didn't really react.

After a period of silence, Mal stood up, some decision clearly come to. River watched him wordlessly as he knelt down in front of her.

"Little Albatross, it's just too complicated. You're too young and I..." He stopped and looked down at his boots, at a loss for a good explanation as to why they had to put tonight behind them and move forward. He really did feel it was the right thing to do. She _was_ too young, gorrammit, she deserved someone young and bright, not her mean old war weary Captain. He wanted something better for her, she was a shining star. But he didn't know how to put these things into words.

River saved him. She put her hand under his chin and he looked up at her face again.

"I know Mal." She said simply. "I understand. I'm your pilot, you're my captain. We do the work. Keep it simple." He stared at her a moment, swallowing hard. _She is so beautiful_, he thought. _How did I not truly see it until this night?_ Her hand burned into his skin.

Then he nodded curtly and stood up, River's hand falling away. "Good. It's the right thing." He went to put his hand on her shoulder again but it froze in midair as he thought better of it. The first of many instances in the months to come where Mal would stay his hand at any casual touch directed towards his pilot. "Glad we talked Darlin.' Now best you be getting some sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow, _dong ma_?" River nodded.

"Yes Captain," she said softly. "I'll go to bed in a few minutes, I'll just double check our coordinates and the autopilot." He nodded, satisfied.

"Then I bid you goodnight, little Albatross, you did a great job tonight, you hear? Made your Captain and your crew proud." He stole a quick glance at her before walking down the ladder and down towards his bunk. He was more at ease and would sleep now. With any luck through the night.

River checked the coordinates methodically. She switched the autopilot on and the lights out. Then she made her way down to her bunk, slowing her gait by Mal's door, but not stopping. He was already asleep, along with the rest of the crew. She hoped he would find some peace. She truly did hope so. But she also knew that if he did, it wouldn't last.

Neither of them would find any real peace until this whole thing got blown wide open around them she knew. But that wouldn't happen soon. They would maintain the semblance of normal for a while, a long while mayhap, ignore sudden stray thoughts that came unannounced and were stamped out instantly.

River could live with that. She could wait. She knew that eventually, the waiting would become unbearable and they would crack. She understood Mal's fear. She had fears too that she had to deal with. But they would deal with these fears separately. She wouldn't look into his mind anymore. She would wait. Until the inevitable.

End Part Six/Six

Author's Notes.

Hello Readers, I hope you enjoyed yourselves. I very much enjoyed writing this.

I know I'm not writing the most original plot here, I can think of a variety of stories that do the "Mal and River have to get up close and personal because _(duh!)_ they're undercover, and this is vital to the bad guys buying the story." Then realize how desperately they love and want each other. And it's all very sexy and lovely for us. There are great stories that do this very well, better than me. (The Shape of the Boundary by ViaLethe comes especially to mind and I will happily admit that I loved the image of River on Mal's lap in public completely throwing him for a loop and borrowed elements of it). So no theft of anyone's ideas was intended and I apologize if anyone feels I drew too heavily from their work. I tried to put my own spin on it all. These two falling in love on a job, is just so the spirit of Firefly.

In addition, sequels are planned and being written. It was supposed to be a stand alone, but I can rarely stop at just one.

Any comments, or criticism is welcome and hoped for, and thanks for what's been received already!


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